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FY 1997 Development Fund for Africa: $20,266,511
Introduction.
Zambia is centrally located in the southern region of Africa. It is one of the few sub-Saharan African countries that has not experienced one or more military coups, wars, or civil conflicts since its independence. In addition, it is one of the few that has experienced a peaceful transfer of national political power. Zambia continues to play a positive regional role in African conflict resolution, including peacekeeping. The U.S. interest is primarily to enhance prospects for peace and stability in the region. The United States Government is committed to sustainable development in the belief that development produces stability, growth, and ultimately trade, and that these will result in fewer claims on U.S. military and humanitarian relief capabilities. It is, therefore, in the U.S. interest that the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) succeed in its efforts to further stabilize its economy, consolidate democratic processes, open investment opportunities for domestic and foreign investors alike, reduce its population growth rate, improve the quality and coverage of primary health care and curb the scourge of HIV/AIDS.
The Development Challenge.
Zambia suffers from severe constraints stemming from more than 25 years of socialism, resulting in neglect and abuse of the country's political institutions and physical infrastructure and one of the world's highest rates of indebtedness ($700 per capita). USAID supports activities to make public decision making more transparent and effective by increasing citizen awareness of rights and responsibilities, promoting independent journalism, and improving public policy implementation. USAID also endorses the IMF-sponsored structural adjustment program as the one best means to bring about recovery and sustainable development for the country. The GRZ commitment to political and economic reform has, at times, been questioned. However, Zambia continues to have one of the best sustained commitments to political and economic reform of any country in Africa., and there are signs that Zambian popular pressure is helping to keep the Government focussed on its original liberal economic and democratic objectives.
Zambia is one of sub-Saharan Africa's most highly urbanized countries. About half of Zambia's 9.1 million people are concentrated in a few urban zones strung along major transportation corridors. Rural areas are underpopulated. Unemployment and under-employment are serious. Zambia is also one of the world's poorest countries. Per capita annual income -- currently about $350 -- is about half the level at independence in 1964 and places the country among the world's least developed nations. Social indicators have shown sharp declines, particularly measurements such as life expectancy at birth and maternal and infant mortality. The high population growth rate of 3.2 percent makes it difficult for per capita income to increase. Zambia's population has more than doubled in the last 25 years. The country's level of economic growth can support neither rapid population growth nor the debilitating effects on maternal and child health resulting from it. Current trends have shown a further decline in maternal and child mortality. If these trends continue, Zambia could see an increase in under-five child mortality from the already high levels of about 202 deaths per 1,000 live births to 250 deaths by the year 2005.
In part, this dismal record is the result of several recent major droughts and near-drought climatic conditions and their effect upon a maize-dominated agricultural regime. In part, it is also the result of poor policies and lack of reinvestment in the major industrial economic sectors, led by the copper mining industry. Despite these obstacles, a general liberalizing trend continues, and policies are in place to bring about positive changes. Recognizing that democracy and governance are essential components of sustainable and equitable economic development, USAID and other donors have moved swiftly to establish programs of assistance. Improved monetary policy has stabilized the local currency, and fiscalpolicy is gradually improving the balance between revenue and expenditure in state accounts. At present no P.L. 480 assistance is envisioned, as the recent regional drought cycle seems to have ended, with good rains in 1995/96. The U.S. Government has forgiven all bilateral debt that can be forgiven under existing legislation, but further debt relief of the remaining P.L. 480 and the Export Import Bank debts would be welcome.
Zambia still requires extraordinary high levels of donor support in order to permit the continued functioning of the government. At least 36% of government revenues are derived directly from donor contributions. Only after a sustained period of restructuring, reorganization and reinvestment in the key private sectors of the economy can Zambia expect to rely on its domestic production and trade, and thereby reduce dependence on external assistance. The region suffers from periodic cycles of drought, and only extraordinary success in diversification of crop patterns and the introduction of new markets can protect rural areas from the penalties of recurrent drought.
USAID has played an important role in the recovery of Zambia over the past four years, especially in the privatization of state-owned enterprises and the promotion of the government's programs of reform, particularly health and family planning. By this means, and with an extensive program of P.L. 480, Title II famine relief, the United States has successfully contributed to the establishment of a social safety net and to the generation of domestic pressures to sustain political and economic reform.
Other Donors.
The United States is Zambia's sixth largest bilateral donor, after Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Sweden and the European Union. In FY 1995, USAID disbursed $27.1 million in grant assistance, including $4.9 million in funds for the Zambian component of programs that are regional in scope. The donor community pledged $760 million in support of Zambia's development in 1996. Much of this is conditioned on continued good governance and specific economic performance and reform criteria. The pledges are composed of $335 million in balance-of-payments support, $343 million in project assistance, and $72 million in food and commodity assistance.
FY 1997 Program.
USAID pursues a strategy aimed at creating an open and democratic climate within which the Zambian people can develop, prosper and invest in the economic opportunities available in the country, while reversing socioeconomic deterioration caused by the effects of past statist policies. U.S. interest is defined by Zambia's continued performance as a stable and progressive political influence in a troubled region. This role will be demonstrated by successful free and fair national elections scheduled for early FY 1997. Increased economic activity in urban areas and within rural communities provides an essential backdrop to the proper functioning of this evolving and decentralizing political system. Improved policies associated with agriculture and industry, alongside those which are already in place, can mitigate the worst effects of seasonal stresses on the basic food supply. More effective family planning and HIV/AIDS-control programs, and improved maternal and child health, can reduce pressures on social structures and help enhance popular support for further reforms.
Family health and population activities dominate two thirds of the portfolio in terms of expenditures, but privatization, economic reform, and democracy and governance activities are important and will be key indicators of USAID program success.
Agency Goal: Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth
In line with the GRZ's desire to promote business development and encourage competition and investment for recovery and growth, USAID/Zambia seeks to facilitate the broad-based participationby private enterprise in the key economic sectors of the country. Two of USAID's objectives in Zambia are to privatize state-owned enterprises and to encourage rural groups to contribute in greater measure to the national economy. As of December 1995, Zambia had privatized 45 parastatal units (90% of USAID's target) (including the Chilanga Cement and Zambia Sugar Companies, sole producers of cement and sugar), and closed other budget-draining parastatals, including ZIMCO (the parastatal holding company), the United Bus Company of Zambia, and Zambia Airways. Another 42 were in final stages of settlement. Zambia has begun the divestiture process for Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines and the country's telecommunications industry, two of the principal generators of export revenues. USAID is providing technical assistance to facilitate this process, including the establishment of a national licensing and monitoring authority that is expected to assist in the introduction of competitive and diversified telecommunication services in the future. Approximately ten percent (500) of the owners/managers of registered small and medium manufacturing, trading and service firms have received USAID-funded business training in key topics through a program undertaken by local universities and other training organizations. Over half of these firms reported that they have turned this training into new lines of credit or developed new efficiency in their activities.
The GRZ historically spent almost 33% of its budget on maize production, marketing and consumption subsidies; during that period, state-owned enterprises or parastatals dominated agro-processing industries. USAID's agricultural-sector activities are aimed at sectoral reform, including market liberalization and the development of supporting institutions. During the first totally liberalized marketing season (1994/1995), price subsidies were abolished, and maize price movements reflected supply and demand for the first time. Changed agricultural incentives led to an expansion and diversification of the supply of foodstuffs and the takeover of the market by private traders, millers and other processors. Commercial farmers and rural families are now in a better position to interpret and respond to market signals. As a result, farmers are more confident about investing, and onlookers anticipate a bumper harvest for the 1996 season.
Most small farmers still need assistance before they can participate effectively in the national economy. Decades of central economic control have reduced their ability to respond to market incentives and solve community problems. In addition, most live in areas poorly serviced by economic infrastructure. Pilot activities are needed to test best practices to link newly freed agribusinesses and more efficient private sector fertilizer markets to small farmer production and marketing efforts, and particularly to drought-resistant crops in dry areas, in preparation for the next drought cycle. These linkages will include more effective community-based land use and natural resource management.
New USAID obligations for this Agency goal will be used to free major state-owned industrial and trading enterprises from the grip of inefficient, bankrupt public management; to facilitate further opening of supporting institutional structures; and to undertake pilot activities to introduce into the market economy the majority of rural producers who are smallholders. [$5,429,992 - 1997].
Agency Goal: Stabilizing World Population Growth and Protecting Human Health
Because of Zambia's daunting economic problems and budgetary constraints, the threat posed to the country’s social fabric, including the strains on health conditions, is extraordinary. Zambia is one of two countries in the world where an increase in infant mortality over the past decade has been documented. The GRZ is leading the reform in implementing a policy of more equitable health care access through decentralization of both management and the service-delivery system and is actively looking for ways to get the private sector to assume a greater share of the health care burden. USAIDhas consolidated several activities in the health area into a single strategic objective to reflect consolidation of services through community and district health institutions, which characterizes the new GRZ health reform program. USAID is promoting a decentralized, yet integrated, low-cost package of services -- including family planning -- to improve child survival nationwide. The GRZ passed the National Health Services Act of 1995, which provides the legal basis for the Ministry of Health's nationwide decentralized health reform process. In the past year, the concept of fees-for-medical services has been established in government health facilities. However, the GRZ health sector is under-funded and in many instances short of the skill and staff required to implement the necessary programs.
USAID is a major donor for the GRZ's progressive and comprehensive program for the prevention, monitoring and care of HIV/AIDS-related diseases. With a sero-positive rate of 25% overall, Zambia ranks among the highest in the world in HIV/AIDS incidence. USAID is supporting public health education for high-risk target groups; increasing the availability of condoms on the commercial market; improving the availability of medications; promoting the correct identification and management of sexually transmitted diseases (STD); and improving counseling/testing facilities. According to a 1995 joint Japanese-U.S. project evaluation, USAID's HIV/AIDS prevention activities targeted on high-risk groups in Zambia's major urban areas have been innovative and highly successful in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS. Current sexual practices facilitate HIV/AIDS transmission, and cultural changes are often slow in appearing in statistical records.
USAID has been instrumental in building sustainability behind the use of contraceptives. The annual social marketing record for sale of condoms has exceeded targets by 10%, giving it the second highest per capita sales (.76) of any social condom marketing project in Africa. The contractor is working almost exclusively through the private sector in selling contraceptives, rather than giving them away, thus moving this activity toward financial sustainability. Sales of contraceptives are increasing faster than the rate of growth of the sexually active population. The Government has granted approval for a broader mix of contraceptive methods, including granting regulatory approval for the contraceptive implant NORPLANT. The delivery of quality family planning services is limited by the lack of trained health personnel, the limited hours of operation of public health clinics, the limited mix of contraceptive methods, and the operational problems of the contraceptive, logistical-management system. Elements of the USAID program are not yet national in scope but are expected to reach that goal by the end of FY 1997.
Agency Goal: Building Democracy
The institutions and habits of authoritarian one-party rule remain deeply embedded in the Zambian political culture, despite the election and peaceful assumption of power of a reform-oriented new political group in the 1991 multi-party elections. In the wake of a rapid political transition, Zambia still lacks a political culture which affirms and adheres to democratic ideals. USAID's fourth strategic objective aims at removing constraints facing the independent media; improving the degree to which the political and legislative process is transparent and informed by, and responsive to, the public; improving executive capacity to assess policy options and respond to citizens' needs; and assuring a free and fair voter registration and election process, both for national and local elections across the country.
USAID's support of the constitutional review process resulted in the submission of a Draft Constitution in the closing months of FY 1995. The Cabinet Office is functioning more efficiently as a result of technical assistance and commodities supplied by USAID. Political parties, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and appointed officials have welcomed and value USAID's programs in support of preparations for free and fair elections in late 1996. New civic action groups are proliferating. The press continues freely to take issue with the government on a number of important issues in aqualitatively improving journalistic atmosphere. The Zambian Supreme Court exerted its independence from partisan influence when the Public Order Act, which allowed strict government control over public assemblies, was ruled unconstitutional and therefore invalid. That decision clears the way for opposition political parties and civic action groups to hold public meetings without police permission. Lawyers, civic activists, and opposition politicians hailed the decision as a major advance in the cause of democracy and an independent judiciary.
On the downside, the ruling party is currently pre-occupied with the 1996 elections and political survival rather than focusing on issues of good governance and broader democratic goals. There has been a resurgence of what has come to be known as "Second Republic Mentality" (i.e., actions and behavior reminiscent of the discredited predecessor regime). The GRZ has thus far failed to carry out voter re-registration in a transparent, competent and timely fashion, necessitating postponement of 1995 local government elections and an extension of the voter registration time table for the 1996 national elections. Registration procedures are unnecessarily cumbersome. The GRZ has not yet been responsive to citizen and civic group demands on the method of approving and adopting the new constitution. New funding, totalling $1,422,000 in 1997, is needed to continue the political transformation by providing resources for effective civil society institutions that promote civic education and lobby for the rights of disadvantaged groups following the election.
|
Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth |
Stabilizing World Population Growth & Protecting Human Health |
Protecting the Environment |
Building |
Providing Humanitarian Assistance |
TOTALS |
|
|
USAID Strategic Objectives |
||||||
|
1. The State Removed from the Provision of Private Goods and Services -Dev. Fund for Africa |
3,329,992 |
275,591 |
3,605,583 |
|||
|
2. Increase the Productive Participation of Rural Enterprises and Communities in the National Economy - Dev. Fund for Africa |
2,100,000 |
390,000 |
2,490,000 |
|||
|
3. Improved Health Status of Zambians - Dev. Fund for Africa |
12,748,928 |
12,748,928 |
||||
|
4. Increased the Participation, Transparency and Accountability of Zambian Institutions in Civil Society - Dev. Fund for Africa |
1,422,000 |
1,422,000 |
||||
|
Totals - Dev. Fund for Africa |
5,429,992 |
12,748,928 |
665,591 |
1,422,000 |
|
20,266,511 |
USAID Mission Director: Joesph F. Stepanek
PROGRAM: ZAMBIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Reduce Government Role in Production Sectors, 611-S001
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $3,605,583 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1997
Purpose: To reduce the state's role in the provision of goods and services more efficiently produced by the private sector.
Background: When the present government was elected in late 1991, the state controlled about 80% of all economic activity. Government subsidies, protection and mismanagement produced distortions that resulted in the decline of the Gross National Product by two percent per year since independence and left Zambia one of the most indebted countries in the world. The 1992 Zambian Privatization Act calls for the transfer of control and management of most of the industrial sector, except for public utilities, to private ownership. USAID is supporting the Government of the Republic of Zambia's (GRZ) program by facilitating the privatization of 50 to 75 state-owned enterprises by 1997 and by making small- and medium-sized enterprises more efficient and competitive. USAID's program will create market opportunities for local and international business, open doors for private investment and free up public resources and talent.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID is providing technical assistance to the Zambia Privatization Agency (ZPA) (1) to facilitate the marketing and sale of state-owned enterprises to local and international investors, (2) to educate the population on the process and consequences of privatization, and (3) to build local ZPA staff capacity. Of the projected 50-75 companies to be privatized under USAID's Privatization Support Project, 45 companies had been privatized by December 31, 1996. (Since branches of some companies have been split into individual companies, there are now 102 new, individual private units operating in the Zambian economy.) The ZPA staff has been trained in privatization methodologies and is becoming proficient in the divestiture of state owned enterprises. Advisory services are being provided to the Zambia Communications Authority to assist in establishing an appropriate telecommunications regulatory framework. Also, USAID provides technical assistance and training to strengthen small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through executive advisories, in-country training and U.S. scholarships. Of the more than 500 SMEs which were supported through USAID programs, more than half have reported increased business strength as a result of the assistance, either through internal efficiencies or new capital investment.
Description: USAID supports its current program of direct technical assistance to ZPA by providing financial and marketing assistance in the privatization of the key, state-owned industries, including the mining and telecommunications companies. Special assistance will be provided that will focus on the policy and legal changes needed to attract and retain international buyers. USAID seeks to increase the number of successful, registered, private-owned businesses in Zambia by providing training and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and private institutions. The objective is to make the business-support system in Zambia sustainable and linked with additional supporting resources, including credit and other capital resources,which are available in the region.
Host Country and Other Donors: USAID is the leading bilateral donor supporting privatization. The World Bank is conditioning balance-of-payment support on progress achieved in privatization. Norway, Denmark, Germany, and the United Kingdom are the other major bilateral partners in this sector. The GRZ remains committed to privatization, and contributes the bulk of resources to undertake the program, in part through a fund composed of proceeds from deposits and sales. Donor support speeds the process through the provision of technical expertise and advice which is otherwise not availableor commercially affordable.
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries are Zambian managers and investors who are free to undertake productive market-oriented investments and receive adequate rewards for their initiative. All citizens benefit from a wider array of choices in goods and service opportunities.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements the activity through the Center for Financial Engineering in Development, Price Waterhouse Inc., Clark Atlanta University and the International Executive Services Corps.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Private sector share of gross 45% (1992)1/ 60% (1998)
domestic product
Private sector share of formal employment 20% (1992) 60% (1998)
Gross Revenues of State-owned $80 million (1995) $1,500 million (1998)
enterprises sales
Number of private registered businesses 5,000 (1993) 7,000 (1998)
PROGRAM: ZAMBIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increase the Participation of Rural Enterprises and Communities in the National Economy, 611-S002
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $2,490,000 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001
Purpose: To increase the productive participation of rural communities and enterprises in the national economy.
Background: When the present government took over in 1991, virtually all agricultural input and product prices and marketing channels were controlled by the government. Maize subsidies absorbed up to one third of the government's budget and distorted cropping decisions. Parastatals dominated agribusiness. With the success of USAID's policy reform effort, Zambian policies now encourage farm-enterprise diversification and innovation, investment, and domestic and regional commercial trading. Production, marketing and consumption subsidies have been eliminated, wasteful state management of farm credit schemes abolished, and food industry parastatals privatized.
The USAID strategy recognizes that for agricultural production to continue growing, the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) must broaden and deepen the significant liberalization steps already taken. Zambians must develop new institutions and institutional cultures to ensure broad based, equitable and sustainable rural economic growth. They must learn to respond profitably to domestic- and export-market signals. Input and output delivery systems must be improved to support increased rural family productivity. In response to these emerging needs, USAID's assistance has evolved from more traditional forms of policy support to direct assistance to communities and businesses based on their aspirations.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: As the lead donor assisting agricultural policy development over the past few years, USAID has overseen the decontrol of pricing and marketing channels and the liberalization of markets. USAID led in the move to eliminate maize subsidies, which had taken about one third of the government budget. The GRZ now saves over $50 million each year. The decontrol of agricultural markets, including removal of maize subsidies, has also led to crop diversification and less vulnerability to changing weather conditions. Prior to removal of subsidies, Zambians had been planting maize in dry areas more suited to other crops. These areas are now shifting back to millet, sorghum, and cassava and into cash crops like sunflower and soybeans. These more drought-prone areas are growing more drought-resistant crops, while maize is being planted in areas with better rainfall.
The GRZ's ability to sustain reform depends on the existence of a social safety net in times of drought, and USAID has led in establishing a social safety net in drought-hit areas by providing an effective early warning system on grain production and availability. USAID also contributed 20,000 tons of sorghum food relief and $1.2 million in local currency for relief monitoring, disaster management capacity building, drought resistant seed multiplication and distribution, water point rehabilitation, and food for work management.
Description: With assistance to rural communities and enterprises, USAID pursues diversified agricultural production and processing, sustainable natural resource management, food security and equitable rural growth. By targeting food processors and outgrowers' schemes that market or process small-farmer production, small-farmer linkages to domestic and regional markets will be developed. Pilot activities linking rural enterprises with commercial credit and new technologies will demonstrate to the government that subsidized farm credit is unnecessary and counterproductive; this will also show thatnon-governmental organizations (NGOs), trade association, and agribusiness networks can improve input and output marketing and stimulate investment in appropriate scale agro-processing. Community organizations will have greater authority over natural resources by participating in decisions on the management and preservation of Zambian wildlife, forest and water resources. Improved governance, accountability and transparency will be pursued from the ground up. Rural communities will seek out and influence decision-makers in resolving practical constraints to rural economic growth.
Host Country and Other Donors: USAID has vigorously taken issue with the World Bank and GRZ's approach to sector investment. As a result, the Bank and the GRZ are now much more open to NGO and private contributions to sectoral planning. Consequently, there is a more rational balance between public and private sector contributions to agricultural growth. Separate monthly donor meetings with the GRZ are held to discuss natural resources management, food relief and agriculture sector investment.
Beneficiaries: Disadvantaged rural communities, people in game management areas, small scale farmers, agribusiness operators.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: National Cooperative Business Association/Cooperative League of the USA, CARE, World Food Program, World Wildlife Fund, GRZ, trade associations and agribusinesses.
Major Result Indicators:
Baseline Target
Agricultural exports as a 44% (1993)2/ 65% (1998)
percentage total non-traditional
agricultural exports
Agribusiness as a proportion of the 51% (1994) 75% (2000)
Gross Domestic Product
Credit for rural enterprise 0% (1995) 3% (2000)
(percentage of commercial bank lending)
PROGRAM: ZAMBIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Improved Health Status of Zambians, 611-S003
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $12,748,928 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To improve the health status of Zambians.
Background: Since 1970, Zambia's economy has been declining while population has been increasing rapidly, rising from 4.1 million in 1969, to 5.7 million in 1980, and to 9.1 million in 1995. At the same time Zambia commenced an extended period of state sponsored socialism that brought about severe neglect of physical infrastructure and a decline in socio-economic indicators. The ability of the nation to recover from and cope with this combination of events has been further constrained by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. (Zambia is one of the most affected nations in the world.) Other social indicators also show sharp declines among the productive working population. This has a potentially high impact on political and economic stability and on the willingness of the population to accept the sacrifices implicit in the current program of reform and restructuring of the economy. To address this problem, The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has embarked on a series of health reforms that will allow the people greater access to both public and private sector health services, bring costs into line with the capacity of families and the nation to pay, and strengthen efforts to control unwanted pregnancies and HIV/AIDS.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID leadership is dominant in efforts to improve access by high risk sectors of the population to condoms and counseling on the risk of infection by HIV/AIDS. USAID assistance promotes increasing access and awareness of families to the use of modern contraceptives and privatization of related services. USAID has taken the lead role in promoting low-cost, sustainable technical interventions in child survival to fill a large gap in the health sector. Redesign of the health-information system, malaria prevention, professional training for health care workers, and packaged, preventive-health resources will lead to more accessible basic health services for mothers, infants and children. In all these efforts, USAID is working effectively with the GRZ to encourage the private sector to assume a greater share of health care delivery and the provision of health products.
The awareness of the threat of AIDS by high-risk elements of the population has significantly increased, and commercially-marketed sales of condoms (17 million in three years) have increased to a level of .76 per capita, the second highest per capita sales of any condom social marketing project in Africa. Family planning services and child survival activities have begun, but have not yet been extended to all health centers throughout the country.
Description: USAID plans to extend the child-survival/preventive-health activities into the existing health centers of 61 districts and 9 provinces in rural and urban communities. The program involves cross-skill training among health service providers and the establishment of a national system of quality control. USAID's program includes development of the impact reporting process, as well as helping build the essential participatory environment among client families that can magnify the benefits in related programs such as community sanitation.
Activities to strengthen awareness of family planning will be integrated into 60 health centers. Interventions include: 1) strengthening of the quality of service delivery through improved training curricula and hands-on demonstration; and 2) development of indigenous community resources on a private basis to disseminate family planning materials and related information. An important element of these activities is to strengthen community-based organizations that engage the spirit ofvolunteerism, reduce costs of service delivery, and enhance the participatory environment and consequently promote the sustainability of the strategic objective.
Host Country and Other Donors: USAID is the third ranking donor, behind the United Nations Children's Fund and Denmark, in support of the health strategic objective. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden are close partners in overall funding, but USAID is the primary donor in support of HIV/AIDS control and family planning activities. Interest in this sector was sparked by the advanced position the GRZ has taken in promoting public sector reform and decentralization of health services as a priority.
Beneficiaries: The main beneficiaries will be the users of district and sub-district health clinics whose services will be markedly expanded and made more responsive to local planning and initiative. Secondary beneficiaries are the health services delivery professionals who will be better motivated to staff the decentralized clinics because their terms of employment will be significantly improved.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements the activity through CARE, John Snow International, Johns Hopkins University, Population Services International, Population Council, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival project, a consortium of U.S. institutions and universities.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Contraceptive prevalence rate 9% (1995)3/ 15% (2000)
(modern methods)
Per capita condom sales 0.76 (1995)4/ 0.95 (1998)
Children age 12 -23 months fully 67% (1992)5/ 80% (2002)
immunized
Reported condom use in most recent, 35% (1995)6/ 55% (1998)
high risk sexual intercourse
PROGRAM: ZAMBIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increase the Participation, Transparency and Accountability of Government Institutions in Civil Society, 611-S004
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $1,422,000 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1997
Purpose: To increase the participation, transparency and accountability of Government institutions in civil society.
Background: When Zambia held multi-party elections in late 1991, it became the first English-speaking state in post-colonial Africa to undergo a democratic transition. Since then it has held a sequence of contested, peaceful by-elections, and is planning for a national election in 1996. Signs of consolidation of this nascent democracy are also evident. There is a growing maturity of political awareness evidenced by a proliferation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) lobbying for popular causes associated with civil rights. There is also continued Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) support for privatization of state-owned enterprises and a commitment to rely on competitive market forces and private enterprise. Finally, there is continued freedom and vigor in the print media; and demonstration of judicial independence in the court decision to annul sections of the Public Order Act requiring police approval for holding public meetings, including those associated with political campaigning.
The overriding constraint to success may prove to be the decline in economic well-being of ordinary citizens as a result of the adverse response of agriculture to near drought conditions, and the delayed response of the business sector to economic restructuring.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID's role is to support activities that will increase citizens' awareness of their civil rights and responsibilities; promote independent and professional journalism; and improve coordination of policy implementation in the Cabinet Office. The goals of the activity are: 1) to achieve government accountability; 2) to assure that public decisions are accessible and effective; 3) to support the role of the privately owned media; and 4) to encourage the conduct of free and fair elections. USAID provides technical assistance, training, and grants to civil society organizations and modest amounts of equipment to the GRZ, private service providers and NGOs. Noteworthy results in USAID-supported activities during 1995 include the preparation and publication of a draft constitution by the Constitutional Review Commission, improved operations of the Cabinet Office, and the qualitative improvement of journalism in all media as a result of support for journalist training.
Description: To assure a free and fair national multi-party election in Zambia at the beginning of the 1997 Fiscal Year, USAID plans to support election monitoring. The USAID will continue to support civic education. Media independence will be advanced by continued journalist and technician training. A new activity in the area of legal and judicial reform will be undertaken in response to results of a participatory needs assessment involving court officers, the legal profession and civil society. The focus will be on changes of law and the implementation of current laws which encourage citizen participation in government decision making and institutional accountability.
Host Country and Other Donors: Among the most active donor institutions are the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) and World Bank who are supporting the public service retrenchment and judiciary reform programs. The United Kingdom has an ambitious program of support for governmental decentralization and fiscal responsibility and, together with Ireland, support the training of senior civil servants. Ranking behind these participants, the Nordic countries have joined with USAID in a focus on civic education, election monitoring, electoral reform, and constitutional reform. Donors meetmonthly for coordination purposes. During 1995, quarterly good governance meetings were initiated with the GRZ at the ministerial and ambassadorial levels. In response to the initiative of USAID to support qualitative improvement and training of journalists, the GRZ agreed to privatize the state-owned media training facility, including significant assets in plant and equipment. Host country contributions of NGO staff time and equipment are the principal resources for this activity.
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries are key NGOs whose task is facilitated by a more responsive and accessible GRZ government apparatus, upwards to 100 journalists who will take advantage of improved professional training and by officials in the Cabinet Office who learn better methods of policy analysis and monitoring.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: GRZ, NGOs, Zambia Mass Communications, University of Zambia, Michigan State University, and Southern University.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Public perception of good government 45% (1993)7/ 50% (1998)
performance
Citizens who know their Members 50% (1993) 60% (1998)
of Parliament
Percent of voter turnout 45% (1993) 50% (1998)
Eligible voters registered 66% (1993) 70% (1998)
Private sector share working journalists 24% (1993) 48% (1998)